


The Doctor and the Donor

by ZeroToWeirdo



Series: Hartwin Meet-Cutes [11]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Blood Test, Hartwin, Hospitals, M/M, Meet-Cute, Needles, Sick Character, and hospital coffee, because i hate him, he doesn't appear, in case that scares you, mentions of dean baker, michelle is a real trooper in this one, non descriptive though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 23:12:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16438631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroToWeirdo/pseuds/ZeroToWeirdo
Summary: One of them is a Doctor, and the other is a Donor.To say that life isn't perfect is an understatement, and sometimes things go wrong beyond your control to fix them on your own. But there are always good and brave people out there, willing to give from themselves to save others.





	The Doctor and the Donor

 

Being the bearer of bad news was the least enviable part of Harry's job. He had neurotic parents with WebMD diagnoses printed out and filed in binders, he had anti-vaxxers and the occasional vegan who didn't consult a nutritionist before imposing diets on their children. And boy did he hate his job when older patients came in, insisting their decades of living trumped his medical degree because he was under 30. He had trauma victims and accident survivors, suicidal and self-harming preteens.

 

But there was something heart-rending about telling a parent who was doing everything right, that there was something she could possibly do nothing about.

 

Michelle Baker led a life fraught with hardship as far as Harry had known her for the past three years. She hadn't opened up to Harry, but from what could glean enough of her hardships from when she'd started coming in with Daisy, who for the past two to three years had been experiencing what seemed to be recurring lung infections. He'd seen Michelle go from a happy wife and mother of two to the distraught single mother of one. He hadn't asked what had happened along the way between the three years they had gotten acquainted in the sterile halls of the hospital, but from the bruises and fights on the phone, and the eventual absence of all these things and the slight returning smiles, he had learned enough. An abusive husband, a runaway child, a hard fought separation. And now...now Daisy.

 

"It's just anaemia, right? Eat some liver, take some iron supplements...right?" Michelle had asked desperately, shifting sleepy Daisy in her arms, the little 5 year old sucking on her thumb groggily. A habit Michelle hadn't the heart to break.

 

Harry shook his head slowly, trying to think of ways to explain how wrong it could go without being discouraging.

 

"Sickle cell anaemia is trickier than that, Michelle. Some children with SCD are not too troubled by it, with mild symptoms like fatigue. I'm afraid with Daisy's hospitalisation history, her infection flare-ups, her chronic pain...there is a high chance that this will affect her organ development, maybe even cause permanent damage. Stunted brain development, future respiratory and cardiovascular problems. I'm afraid we need to look into bone marrow transplants, and the sooner the better."

 

"Well, I'm her mother, I'll be a match, right?"

 

He smiled placatingly, pulling up a chart and flipping through it. "We're counting on that, but we do need to test as many options as possible. We need to take a blood sample from you today and wait for the results. We'll add Daisy to the transplant waiting list in the meantime. To be on the safe side, is there a way to get Dean in to get his blood tested too?"

 

Michelle sighed deeply, a look of resignation on her face. "He isn't her biological father, I married him a couple years after Daisy's father died. He probably won't be a match...which sort of makes me feel better, because knowing him, he'd never donate a drop of himself for anyone, flesh and blood or not."

 

Harry nodded, but his concern was rising. One 'possible' donor wasn't enough. "Full siblings tend to be frequent matches. One in four often are compatible for bone marrow transplants. Is there any way you could get into contact with your son?"

 

It’s amazing how you can watch years add onto a person's face from words alone, Harry mused, as Michelle's expression grew closed off, tight and tired.

 

"I haven't seen Eggsy in three years, when he was 16...I've been thinking of reaching out to him recently, but...What would he think, me not reaching out to him for three years only to ask him to come back and help his sister?"

 

"I think he'd think of how much he loves his sister." Harry insisted.

 

Michelle looked uncertain, and guilty. "I wanted to give him space...handle the situation with Dean first, because I knew Eggsy was right, it was a situation that needed fixing...give him something to want to come back to...and now that it's safe for him to come home, this happens and makes it look like I want him back for Daisy. But I just want him back for him."

 

Harry wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing. Leaning back against his chair and letting her eyes linger on the detailed edging of the photo frame he had on his desk while her gaze seemed to go beyond it, lost in imagining the many outcomes that could come from her reaching out to her son with such a request.

 

"He has a heart of gold." She said finally, smiling at Harry. "He'll come."

 

Harry nodded, standing and holding a hand out in a gesture indicating the door to his office. "Let's get your blood test done then and send you on your way. Little Daisy deserves a good rest, and dare I say, so do you."

 

***

 

It was close to 7pm, and Harry's shift was nearly done, he had one more round through the paediatric ward and he was free to go. He was passing the neonatal unit and spotted a young man standing in front of the glass, gazing at a premature baby resting easily in an incubator.

 

He turned as he saw Harry approaching and smiled nervously.

 

"Family visit?" Harry asked, wondering if this was a new father. If he was, Harry would be surprised. He'd helped in the birth or care of nearly all the babies in that room, or had at least met their mothers. None of them struck him as the kind to date a young adult who still wore snap backs.

 

"Er no...I'm sorry, I'm a bit lost. I'm looking for...well...I'm not sure what unit I should be looking for. Where do you go to get your blood tested to be a donor?" He asked quickly, glancing affectionately at the premie as he did so.

 

"Ah, you're registering as a donor?" Harry enquired, putting his clipboard under his arm as he reached out his hand. "Dr. Hart. If you'd follow me, we could get you squared away right now before the blood labs close."

 

"Unwin. Eggsy Unwin. Yeah, I uh...want to donate my marrow? For my sister. I heard she'd be having her treatment here." He said, quickly grasping

 

"Eggsy!" Harry said in surprise. "You responded rather fast. I suppose Michelle contacted you this afternoon?" He asked quickly.

 

Eggsy looked surprised. "Actually, I used a mate's Facebook and saw her post on there...about Daisy needing some marrow. I figured, it makes sense to get checked."

 

"I suppose she hadn't gotten around to it, but it seems she was right. She didn't have a shadow of doubt in her mind that you would come; she planned on calling you as soon as she could." Harry said, leading Eggsy down the hall to the check-up rooms.

 

"Didn't think she still had my number." He mumbled nervously, scuffing his feet on the floor as he followed the doctor.

 

"She has your number, your address and the name of your roommate, if I'm not mistaken." Harry said with a smile. "Mothers can't help but keep an eye on their children, even when they give them space."

 

That information seemed to take Eggsy by surprise, clearly having thought his mother's silence was complete ignorance on his situation. "I didn't know that..." He mumbled, his expression reserved, thoughtful.

 

They reached the rooms, Harry indicating to the table for Eggsy to sit on. He did so, with all the soberness of a martyr headed to the pyre.

 

"Nervous?" Harry chuckled.

 

"Do you have to take the marrow to test compatibility? I...I heard that it hurts for some days after." Eggsy asked quickly.

 

"We only need to take your blood, no worries. Though, should you and Michelle both prove to be compatible, we'll have to take some additional blood tests to ensure who is the most compatible. Then there's a physical exam, appointments with information sessions before you give your consent, and of course, the transplant itself. Now that one, may hurt. For some days at a time."

 

While Eggsy looked incredibly uncomfortable, he nodded for Harry to continue, wanting to hear the gyst of it.  "Give it to me straight, doc."

 

"The extraction will be done under anaesthesia, where we'll take some bone marrow from your pelvic bone. You could get some resulting back or hip pain, fatigue, muscle pain. Maybe even a bad headache. Sometimes the pain lasts up to a week....I don't mean to dissuade you in any way, of course."

 

"No no no, it's alright, I'm just...just a bit nervous about needles. But no, nothing could dissuade me." Eggsy insisted, voice faltering and face paling as Harry pulled out the venipuncture vacuum tube and needle.

 

"I promise, Eggsy, this is the easiest part. Taking blood samples doesn't hurt one bit. You wont feel a thing."

 

"Don't make promises you can't keep, doc. I think being stabbed is going to hurt no matter how small the needle." Eggsy chuckled nervously, taking his jacket off with shaky hands.

 

"I bet 5 pounds that you won't feel a thing." Harry stated confidently, taking Eggsy by the elbow and disinfecting the area he was intending to 'stab'.

 

Used to fussing and writhing children, Harry was confident in his accuracy, speed and over all distraction techniques. He used all of the above as he readied the needle, looked Eggsy dead in the eye and said "You have the loveliest eyes I have ever seen."

 

The needle was in and out in 5 seconds, and Eggsy still looked stunned while Harry's smug self stowed the blood sample on a tray nearby. Usually, he made bizarre statements to bring about a reaction like this. It had to be the first time he'd managed to stun someone with a truth and a little flirtation.

 

His triumphant smirk seemed to draw Eggsy out of his stupour, as he let out a retroactive hiss, clutching at his arm dramatically.

 

"Oof, it stings."

 

"Does it really." Harry said sarcastically, clearly not buying it.

 

"Stabbed right down to the bone!"

 

"That's a bit dramatic."

 

"Fair's fair. I've been wounded and lied to. You owe me, doc."

 

"It seems that I do. 5 pounds?"

 

"Coffee. And we'll call it even."

 

It was Harry's turn to look rather stunned, pausing in the middle of taking off one of his gloves. Eggsy seemed confident in his statement, if a little nervous by Harry's pause. Well then...

 

"My shift is about done. Hospital coffee, then?"

 

"If it's as bad as I've heard, we're going to come out of this with you owing me even more."

 

"Alright, who's been badmouthing our coffee?"

 

"Everyone who's drunk it, doc."

 

"...honestly, I'd defend it, but I have a feeling I've become imune through exposure. Alright, shitty hospital coffee it is."

 

They headed towards the cafeteria, Harry slipping his white coat off as he went.

 

***

 

40 minutes and two coffees later, and a lull had come over the table for the first time since they had sat down and started talking. Daisy had come to topic, which had led to Michelle, which had led to the divorce, which had led to this loaded silence. Harry was just waiting for Eggsy to let the question fly.

 

"She's left him? He's gone?"

 

"Its a rather new development, the ink hasn't dried and no court dates have been set...but yes, she's left him."

 

Eggsy sat back with a deep sigh, like years of pressure had left his body. There was a sadness in his eyes, though, that Harry found far too out of place. Sadness didn't belong in the eyes of someone so cheeky, and unrepentantly kind. The next question that came was a surprise to Harry.

 

"...Was she really going to call me?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Why didn't she call me this afternoon, when she found out?"

 

"She was thinking hard on an approach to breaking the silence, I believe. Hoping you wouldn't doubt her intentions for reaching out."

 

"No, of course not, I would never think...I just didn't think she'd want to talk to me for a while."

 

"What gave you that impression?"

 

"I just left them there...up and left them, when Dean was at his worst. When Daisy was starting to get sick. Didn't stay like the man I should have been."

 

"One would argue that that was because you _weren't_ a man, Eggsy. You were still a boy."

 

"There are no boys when men refuse to be fathers, Harry."

 

"There are, they just pretend they're grown to survive. I can't claim to speak for your mother, but I know that when you left...there was some relief. That you, at least, had gotten away."

 

"Is it bad that I felt relief? That I was relieved that I got away?"

 

The guilt in Eggsy's eyes were as out of place as the sadness. Harry reached out and grasped Eggsy's hand, not sure what else to say, or if he could or should say anything. They sat there in silence for a while, Harry's hand warming Eggsy's on the counter top, a reassuring weight while thoughts raced through their minds at the speed of sound.

  
To be interrupted by Eggsy's phone.

 

He peered at th number for a moment, shooting Harry a helpless look for a moment. He gave his best reassuring smile, gripping Eggsy's hand a little tighter.

 

With a final deep breath, Eggsy swiped at the green phone and lifted the phone to his ear.

 

"Hey...mom?"

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by Arel:  
> "Also, doctor and hospital donor could have lot of potential while being so not dark. Not that I don't trust you to make seemingly dark pairing light."
> 
> Due to the nature of bone marrow transplants, I've made Daisy Eggsy's full sibling. Michelle just remarried Dean, that’s all.
> 
> Alsoooo cuz Harry is a pediatrician, I de-aged him. To keep the plot, Eggsy had to be younger, and like...age gaps are awesome when they're both along in their years, not so much when they're this close to 18 and one of them has a job with children and adolescents. I consulted google, and one of the youngest pediatricians i could find was 22 years old, so when I say Harry is under 30 and has been working for at least 4 years, y'all can slot him in there somewhere according to your own taste. 
> 
> Also also, its more meet-cutey than get together-ey cuz of the gravity of the situation.


End file.
